Johanna's Song
by The Muckracker
Summary: The true story of the biggest bad-butt of the Games history. WARNING: Contains Cheez-its, reference jokes, and will occasionally contain the usual blood n' gore. Will take suggestions. Ones not involving Harry Potter.T for... Tviolence.
1. Timber!

I did this all by myself, so all credit goes to me! MWAHAHAA! Wait. Scratch that! All credit goes to Suzanne Collins for creating the original Johanna, the Internet for existing, me, and the Cheez-it company for providing me with maximum snackage. Thanks guys, I love you, and without your existence none of this would be possible. Story time:D

-Chap 1: Timber! -

Chop. Chop. Chop. Over and over again I swing at the stupid trees. "Johanna!" my working partner for the day, Pine, yells at me from the other side of the tree. "Hurry up! This tree isn't gonna cut itself down!" "God Pine, you're three feet away." I try to keep a level voice. He licks the last of the maple syrup from the tin can. Now our bread is going to taste like wood for the day. Chop. Chop. Chop. "Pine, you're supposed to be helping." I snap. Pine looks at me with those annoying green eyes we all have here."I'm the mayor's son. What if I were to be injured?" Pine glares at me. Chop. Chop. Chop. "What if we don't fill our daily quota? Then we both get whipped. It's already midday and we still have four more trees to go." I try to reason. "Father won't let me get whipped." Pine sniffs. "You'll be the one getting the punishment." He smiles. Why does that skinny little loser have to be right? Chop. Chop. Chop.

"So the reaping is next month." Pine chews his share of the bread. He winces at the flavor. Everything here tastes like wood, and it gets annoying. "Who do ya think is gonna get picked?" Pine asks. I just shrug. I hate talking to that idiot. "I'm voting on Acacio from block D." he shrugs. In district 7, voting is a big thing. Bets are placed. I'm sure the tributes are none too happy. "Not Acacio. He's a ranger." I sigh. Rangers are the people in District 7 where they kill of all the beasts that could maul the workers. Mountain lions and such. They don't have to cut down any trees. What I wouldn't do to become a ranger. But if I keep getting stuck with Pine, I'll never be able to chop my thousandth tree and apply to become a ranger. Chop. Chop. Chop. "They'd force someone to volunteer for Acacio." I tell him. "Oh yeah. Of course they wouldn't waste a ranger like that. Then I guess Dagwood would replace him." Pine suggests.

Dagwood isn't all there in the head. I know he'd be first to be picked, since he can barely chop two trees a day. He'd also be the first one to get picked off in the Games. "Or maybe it'll be you!" Pine sneers at me. Chop. Chop. Chop. "Say wasn't your mother picked when she was sixteen? Musta been sad for your Father. A fifteen year old guy stuck caring for a baby all by himself after watching his girlfriend getting eaten up by mutts. Too bad his kid turned out to be a failure." Pine laughs. I feel all hot, and I can't think straight. CHOP. The other workers nearby gasp in horror, as Pine's head rolls around the forest floor. I drop the axe, staring at the smirk on his head.

What have I done?


	2. Chap2: District 7 LOVES A Good Punishing

Grab a box of your favorite snack (I pick Cheez-its) and here is chapter 2! Sorry these things are short, it's hard for a Tourette's person to get focused. Just ask any math teacher who was ever cursed to have me for the year.

Chap 2: "District 7 LOOOVES A Good Punishing"

The mayor, a small, balding man with green eyes, glares at me. "You murderous-" the mayor lets off a string of swears. Okay Johanna, calm down. "I'm sorry sir." I try my best to look innocent. "I….. the axe slipped!" I have genuine tears running down my face. "You know what the punishment for murder is." The Mayor's voice is ice cold. You don't get hanged here in district 7. You get burned at the stake. Slowly. Doesn't sound like something I want. "Mayor, please! I didn't mean to!" I cry. I have to admit, I'm just a bit scared. He hits me on the head. In order to be Mayor, you have to fell a Redwood tree with a hatchet in one day. Only the strongest can do that. Which is why each blow hurts more than the last, coming from him. The man has amazing upper body strength.

"Forrest, stop that!" a middle aged woman yells. I open my eyes. This tall, angry woman with rare brown eyes like me looms over him. "The girl is truthful!" she shoves him backwards. The Mayor looks at her. "Victor Arden, this girl just killed my son!" he yells. So this is Arden, the famously reclusive Victor of the 45th hunger games. "She isn't lying." Arden stares him down. Displays of strength like this are common here. The Mayor stares back. He finally backs down after a moment. "Fine." Is all he says. "Get that hideous creature out of my sight." Arden yanks me up, pulling me along with an iron grip.

"Can I go home now?" I ask her. Arden gives a bitter laugh. "No. You and I have things to discuss." She drags me toward the Victor's Village. We go into her house, one of the three with a light on in it. She shuts the door behind her. "Explain to me." She asks in a calm tone. I take a deep breath, and feel the pain on my skull. Those bruises are going to suck tomorrow. So I explain to her.

"You let your temper get the best of you?" she asks after a moment. I only nod. "I hated Pine, but he didn't deserve to die." I take a shaky breath. "Don't cry." Arden commands me. "You can't cry, not ever again." She stares me down.

"What do you mean?" I ask. "I have every right."

"Johanna, do you know who Nereus Freystep is?" Arden looks me in the eye.

"Yeah. The one who pulls names out of the Reaping bowl every year? Duh." I tell her.

"Johanna, Nereus is the Mayor's cousin." Arden announces this like it's a grave fact of life.

"Yeah. So?" I have no clue where Arden could be going with this.

"Johanna, the mayor is going to ask Nereus to put your name in more times than usual."

I'm starting to see where this is going…

"By killing Pine, you've just reserved yourself a spot in the next Hunger Games." Arden announces. "The Mayor is going to condemn you to die."


End file.
